Monday, February 9, 2009 - Rockhound State Park, Deming NM

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 1130 AM MST MON FEB 9 2009

...WINTER STORM SYSTEM TO BRING STRONG WINDS AND SNOW TO SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO TONIGHT AND TUESDAY...

.ANOTHER PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION TONIGHT AND PASS THROUGH SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS ON TUESDAY. THIS STORM SYSTEM COLDER AND STRONGER SYSTEM THAN THE ONE THAT MOVED THROUGH THE AREA ON SUNDAY. ACCOMPANYING THIS SYSTEM WILL BE A POWERFUL UPPER LOW AND A STRONG SURFACE COLD FRONT. INCREASED MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL HELP TO GENERATE SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS THE REGION...BEGINNING AROUND MIDNIGHT OVER THE GILA AND BOOTHEEL AREAS OF NEW MEXICO. THESE SHOWERS WILL EXPAND EAST TO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY BY DAY BREAK. MUCH COOLER AIR BEHIND THE FRONT WILL LOWER SNOW LEVELS THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. SNOW LEVELS INITIALLY ABOVE 6000 FT WILL DROP TO AROUND 4000 FT BEHIND THE FRONT. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WITH THIS STORM COULD REACH 3 TO 6 INCHES OVER THE GILA REGION...2 TO 5 INCHES FOR THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS...AND BETWEEN ONE AND TWO INCHES ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST LOWLANDS. LESSER AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE LOWLANDS EAST OF THE RIO GRANDE. VERY STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM. THE STORM WILL EXIT TUESDAY EVENING AND SHOWERS WILL DISSIPATE.